Work History – Don’t Trivialize Your Past Experiences on your resume!

After writing numerous resumes for students and recent graduates, I found that the vast majority of them tend to omit part-time or temporary jobs from their resumes. A lot of students have experience working in either the retail or hospitality sector, and because these jobs are not “real jobs” or full-time positions, a lot of students do not feel the need to include them. “Why would I write that I worked there on my resume?” a student recently asked me, referring to a retail store.

The answer is – a lot of part-time and temporary jobs that students tend to hold actually provide valuable skills and experience that employers are looking for on resumes. Employers are aware that you probably have little to no work experience, so any experience is usually viewed as a positive.

The important thing is to demonstrate this in an effective way on your resume. Don’t just write “folded clothes” or “processed transactions” when referring to a retail position. Instead, include that you built and maintained relationships with customers or that you regularly met or exceeded your sales targets. There are tons of other skills you could have acquired, but it all depends on the way you present yourself. Sell yourself and make your position stand out amongst similar positions from other candidates.

Just remember – don’t trivialize your work experience. There are skills to be learned from every job, and it’s important to show on your resume that you’ve acquired skills that are relevant to jobs you’re applying for, especially when you have little to no work experience.